Sausage from Scratch, Buttermilk Biscuits & how I went from a size 4 to 8 in one day.

April 21, 2012 By Wendy Ellen Thomas in Atlanta, breakfast, Brunch Tags: buttermilk biscuits, gravy, Sara Foster, sausage, Southern cooking 29 Comments

I wonder sometimes how other food bloggers are coming up with ideas of what they want to make. Is it lined out on a chalkboard? On the ‘plan your blog’ app? Or is it a day to day decision? I wonder sometimes what I might create and share next… for about 3 minutes… because frankly, I’m under the impression that there are not enough hours, days, months or years to complete all the thoughts I have about food. So really, it’s a matter of focus, organization and lots of real time little notebooks and computer stickies. How do you decide?

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Tarragon Chicken Salad with Cranberries and Hazelnuts & a side of Asparagus

April 17, 2012 By Wendy Ellen Thomas in Fresh and healthy, Main: poultry, Salad Tags: asparagus, avocado, chicken, cranberries, hazelnuts, orange vinaigrette, radishes, tarragon 29 Comments

This tarragon chicken salad with cranberries and hazelnuts, exploding with flavor and texture, easily kept my mind off the cupcakes and yeasted cakes I’ve temporarily sworn off. And it will yours too. I didn’t search for any recipe this time because I didn’t want to know if someone’s already done it. Sometimes, with the access we have online to practically everything, it can take a bit of the thrill out of thinking you’ve discovered something for yourself. Now I know tarragon chicken salad is nothing new. And I know somebody out there has put cranberries or hazelnuts with chicken. Maybe they even used an orange vinaigrette to dress it. And yes, once I publish this post I might very well google it… but until then I’m enjoying having put this together myself.

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Blog love and no blackberry crisp … 7×7 Link, Liebster and Kreativ Blogger

April 13, 2012 By Wendy Ellen Thomas in Awards and recognition Tags: 7x7 Link Award, Kreativ Blogger Award, Liebster Award, nominations 31 Comments

Spring is here and love is in the air. It’s been a real learning curve since 11/11/11 when I started writing and cooking in public… well if family and your five closest friends count as public. It has been at times frustrating, exciting, exhausting, and has provided an enormous amount of satisfaction, learning and new virtual friendships. I’ve also been inspired to sign up for a food writing and photography workshop in Somerset next month and could not be more excited about it.

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Rosenkuchen for Easter

April 6, 2012 By Wendy Ellen Thomas in Baked Goods, Brunch, holiday Tags: apple, glaze, hazelnut, rosenkuchen, yeasted cake 36 Comments

Finally, the long promised and awaited Rosenkuchen. Ok. Maybe that is an exaggeration. This Rosenkuchen, a yeasted cake with hazelnut and apple filling, has quickly climbed the ranks of my cake list. We loved it. The neighbors loved it. Honestly, we would have enjoyed it more if it hadn’t been on the heels of the macarons. I’m glad to have made this before our trip to share it with you prior to the holidays. This would be a PERFECT Easter brunch item. Easily made the day before. I actually made the yeasted dough on Saturday and held it over in the fridge till Sunday. Not a problem. I just couldn’t bare the thought of finishing it the same night as those Macarons and I was losing my natural light. I finished it Sunday afternoon but after a dinner of take out Indian food, we barely touched it till Monday.

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Macaron bloopers and extra ganache

April 3, 2012 By Wendy Ellen Thomas in Cookies and Bars Tags: ganache, macarons 18 Comments

So as the official macaron post was so long, I thought I’d save the first round, the one that made me practically cry but still tasted delectable, till later.

I’ll start by saying, for those who saw the original post I madly tried to get out Sunday night at 11.30pm, Hamburg time, after about 8 hours of work and a loony weekend, you are not crazy if you were curious about the spelling.. I did spell every mention of a macaron, including the title with 2 o’s as in the coconut macaroon that is not really my favorite cookie. I can’t even blame the spell check because I only discovered it, like today. I will divulge. I was trying to ride that crazy stat wave and get something else out for everybody to see. Let go my ego ahem eggo. Alas I could not even remember if the egg whites were folded into the dry ingredients or the dry ingredients were folded into the whites. And that was with the two cookbooks I mentioned. I kept reading it over and over and over, literally probably eight times. But my brains were scrambled.

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French Macarons… A cinnamon and ginger duet.

April 1, 2012 By Wendy Ellen Thomas in Cookies and Bars Tags: chocolate, cinnamon, ginger, macaroons, Nigella Lawson, Pierre Herme 48 Comments

PHEW… what an exciting weekend. Thursday night I was doodling around checking to see if my new post was getting any action and yes, I was up to 35..45.. yes 75 in one day. This garnished excitement in my new little blogging world. Then about 8pm I looked and I had 140 hits. Hmmm… then 250 and I thought bummer I’ve been hacked spammed infiltrated. Then I had the notion to check freshly pressed and saw a familiar picture on the front page. Holy shit. How did that get there, not to be self deprecating, which I also have a knack for. I am pleased with my blog and the learning curve. However, if I had thought THIS chicken and glass noodle post would be seen by thousands I might have at least included a printable recipe. Must have been those scallions. Despite being catapulted into 15 minutes of blogging fame, my internet was still going off at 9pm (teen in the house) not to come back on till 6am. I checked my iphone till about 11pm. I woke up about 5.30 barely able to contain myself. O offered to make tea and keep me company till I could log on. I wasn’t sure if I should play all cool like ‘yeah whatever’ freshly pressed… that’s nice. But I’m not really a cool person and I wear my heart on my sleeve, so I can’t lie. What a thrill this has been. I’m enjoying seeing so many new faces and sites and don’t mind the occasional real estate broker hotline or tennis shoe extravaganza that seem to slip through the spam cracks.

All that being said… back to work- or fun I should say. I’m loving responding to comments but wanted to get this out next. I had Rosenkuchen planned for this post but found out Friday night through Biscuits and Bobbins about a macaron contest over at traveling foodies. I love making macaroons. Could I pull it off in a day? Make them and write a post? It was worth a shot. Here’s the round-up of their March Macaron Madness. Great photos and a lot of info!

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Chicken Soup with Glass Noodles

March 29, 2012 By Wendy Ellen Thomas in Asian inspired, Fitness and Health, Soup Tags: carrots, chicken soup, glass noodles, mushrooms, napa cabbage, oysters, shitakes 209 Comments

We enjoyed another light meal this week of chicken soup with glass noodles. We’ve had a few more smoothies, which I must mention because I forgot to put a couple photos on the last post. The smoothie and a very moving one of a glass of water with a lemon slice- don’t fret, I’ll add it too. After pushing ‘publish’ last time, I had that sneaky little feeling I’d rushed it. I’m sure others have lingered in that moment. I re-read the post and thought, no it’s looks complete… until this morning during our weight class at the gym. The one I actually like but still can’t wait to finish… the one that I’ve NOT done in TOO long so I’m having to pause after every sentence I type to let my arms rest…the one I tend to day dream through. This was when two photos flashed before my eyes. I was like dammit janet, you forgot those two photos yesterday. How these thoughts, memories float to the surface of the conscious, is beyond me. I have recently read some very interesting articles concerning some of the intricacies of how the brain works. Here are a couple from the NYTimes-

The Brain On Love and The Brain On Fiction

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Lost, Found & Fresh

March 27, 2012 By Wendy Ellen Thomas in dinner, Fitness and Health, Fresh and healthy, Hamburg, Salad Tags: dinner, fresh vegetables, greek salad, lost and found, napa cabbage, zuchinni 19 Comments

Since we’ve been pounding the cupcakes lately, and that ‘diet’ way back when only lasted three weeks, I thought I’d throw something fresh your way. I sort of lost my way just like Chloe’s black winter coat last week. She left it on the public bus Friday afternoon, the first really warm day of the year. I couldn’t blame her…It was one of those days where you forgot how cold the morning had started and by the afternoon you were practically peeled down to your skivvies…. practically nothing that is. So of course it’s like ‘what coat’? It was fortunate she even realized where she left it. We (O) called the HVV(public Hamburg transport) yesterday and the coat was indeed located and we needed to bring in identification and some sort of proof that it was ours. Like in case someone else left a black winter coat on the 283, direction Bahrenfeld between 3.15 and 3.45pm. O found a year old photo on the computer. Can you imagine rustling through boxes of snapshots or negatives looking for a picture? My idea was to bring the detached furry hood that Chloe refuses to wear, as proof we are the rightful owners. Our particle reference number in hand, we arrived at the Fundbüro. It was like walking into an OCD dream. The quiet, organized main office had two employees and no que… and racks on six walls with hundreds of lost, stranded keychains, all tagged by location found, date and a reference number. It was amazing.

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Hello spring… Ricotta Pancakes, Bacon & Bike Ride

March 25, 2012 By Wendy Ellen Thomas in breakfast, Brunch, holiday Tags: bike ride, Elbe River, ricotta pancakes, spring 21 Comments

I don’t have loads to say today except thank you to the weather for the glorious sunshine and smiles we saw this weekend. From year to year, there is truly nothing new in this first wave of warmth. But each spring when the sun and air combine to evoke that feeling of relief and gratitude, a cloud lifts and people join together in the streets in mass welcome. We packaged up our last few cupcakes and spent Saturday afternoon at a neighbors.

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Back to basics… Chocolate cupcakes

March 22, 2012 By Wendy Ellen Thomas in Cupcakes Tags: chocolate buttercream frosting, chocolate cupcakes 22 Comments

It would take days to exhaust the chocolate cupcake recipes in print and on the web. I started with the few cookbooks I have here in Hamburg (about 30). My baking books and of course “Joy of Cooking”. Unsatisfied with what I had in print, I spent far too long online. It’s like shopping for a dress or a CAR. These chocolate cupcakes were going to be sold in a ‘Taste of the Globe’ sale after all. My daughter’s reputation first, then mine on the line at the tenuous age of 8th grade and borderline mid-life… assuming I live till 88. Oh my god, I’m potentially over the half way mark. This isn’t about me though. Well it is MY blog. Right. Car shopping. You find one you love in the first go round but you are required to continue searching and cross-referencing to confirm your initial gut feeling.

The Joy of Baking came up within the top five on the first page of a google search for ‘chocolate cupcakes’. The recipe is simple and clean. And so good. I made them yesterday to give them that day of rest. Cupcakes, in my opinion, peak after a 24 hour rest and are delicious for a solid day maybe two, then start to dry out. Of course they rarely last too long unless you keep making 2 doz for 3 people. This batch though was for export… well minus three…. or four.

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